the love child will find you

the love child will pull

at your pantleg

and desperately grab your hand

the love child knows that it wore

a sheen, and a strange name

--or no name, because it's birth wasn't

planned, or maybe it was

but you had a choice

the name grew more delicious

more desired

every time you spoke it

the exotic name, the uncommon name

that you found deep within yourself

and painted on this child of yours

the novelty the tears the sleepless nights

at having something of your own

then the soft little teeth

and constant cries of it's soft belly

don't worry, it won't bite you

if it does

you won't know what to do

and you will sob, red-faced, as is your habit

because you were not prepared

for a scene such as this

the shiny cover of the book

holds no answers

and you will break down

and abandon the love child

and it will follow you through the years

with it's teddy bear and dollar store clothes

to your careers and committees,

and everyone will say, how sad

and you will hide the child

because you're embarassed

and the sheen is all gone

and it will be hunted

with social workers, and it will leave

a trail

of toys and photos and teary little eyes

that will blink at you when you find them

you will see it's face in the newspapers

and at the gas station

it will hide behind horrible things

things you hoped, in your prenatal plans,

that it never would

and it's friends will feel sorry for it

it has the sob and the pain that you gave it

feelings overwhelm your love child

and push it to the wall

the brick the concrete the asphalt

because it needs something solid

because it is slowly dying

with it's raging need

for something, a heart to love it

and those who collect hopeless souls

will find it, curled up beside the wall

and carry it, bruised and hollowed

to your doorstep

and you will watch it, barely able to stand

and you will be torn open

and your love child finally has your heart

and everyone will cheer

Thank god that's over!

And the love child will look at you

and you will finally speak it's name.